We spotlight 21 upcoming projects making the jump from page to screen in the next couple of years that we're particularly excited for.

McMafia

McMafia is a thrilling new 8-episode crime series based on journalist Misha Glenny’s 2008 novel. Creators Hossein Amini and James Watkins explore what the world of crime looks like in the 21st century, where you can schedule drug deals, order assassinations, and make shipping changes all from the comfort of home with a computer and internet connection. The title McMafia is inspired by McDonald's, since criminal organizations have franchises all over the world. McMafia stars James Norton (Flatliners) as Alex Godman, the son of Russian immigrants with ties to the criminal underground. When Alex’s family is attacked, he is driven into the shady world of organized crime in order to protect those he loves. McMafia premiered on AMC on February 26.

The Looming Tower

Hulu’s chilling political thriller is inspired by true events that led up to 9/11 -- specifically the rivalry between the FBI and CIA, as the two agencies worked towards the same goal with very different (and apparently oppositional) approaches in the late 1990s. The adaptation of Lawrence Wright’s non-fiction book stars Jeff Daniels, Peter Sarsgaard, Tahar Rahim and Michael Stuhlbarg, and counts Wright and Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney (Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief) as executive producers. The series premiered February 28.

Instict

The Good Wife alum (and X-Men’s former Nightcrawler) Alan Cumming stars in CBS’ newest crime thriller, which is based on James Patterson and Howard Roughan’s Murder Games. Cumming plays Dr. Dylan Reinhart, a former CIA operative turned university professor who is drawn out of retirement by NYPD detective Lizzie Needham (Bojana Novakovic) to help her catch a serial killer who seems to be using Reinhart's book as a tutorial. Sure, it basically sounds like Castle meets The Following, but why not? The show premieres March 18.

The Terror

The Terror is a 10-episode series that blends historical fact with fiction. Legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott is one of the executive producers and the story is based on Dan Simmons’ book of the same name. The Terror is about the real-life expedition of two ships, HMS Erebus and the HMS Terror, in 1845, which became stranded as they searched for a route through the treacherous Northwest Passage. In this fictionalized version of their journey, as the men find themselves trapped in this frozen wasteland, a mysterious creature threatens their very existence. Anchored by a stellar cast that includes Jared Harris (The Crown), Ciaran Hinds (Game of Thrones) and Tobias Menzies (Outlander), The Terror premieres on AMC on March 26.

Killing Eve

Based on the Villanelle novellas by author Luke Jennings, this stylish spy thriller is written and executive produced by Fleabag creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge (who also has a mystery role in Solo: A Star Wars Story). The show focuses on the cat-and-mouse game between a psychotic and chameleonic assassin, Villanelle (Jodie Comer), and Eve (Sandra Oh), the bored, desk-bound MI5 agent who picks up her trail and becomes obsessed with catching her. The eight-episode series premieres on BBC America on April 8.

C.B. Strike aka Strike

Move over, Sherlock — a new crotchety British detective is coming to our screens courtesy of Harry Potter scribe J.K. Rowling, who wrote a series of novels centered around Cormoran Strike — an Army veteran-turned-PI — under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. The show stars Tom Burke as the titular private eye and Holliday Grainger as his secretary, Robin Elliott. The seven-episode series adapts all three of Rowling’s books, The Cuckoo’s Calling, The Silkworm, and Career of Evil, and the show is currently airing in the UK. The series premieres Stateside on Cinemax in June.

Sharp Objects

Amy Adams headlines this psychological miniseries, which HBO is no doubt hoping will be this year’s Big Little Lies. Based on the Gillian Flynn novel of the same name, the series is directed by Big Little Lies helmer Jean-Marc Vallée, with UnREAL co-creator Marti Noxon executive producing. Adams plays Camille, a crime reporter recently released from a psychiatric hospital who returns to her seemingly idyllic hometown to investigate the murders of two little girls, confronting her own demons in the process.

The Little Drummer Girl

The Little Drummer Girl, based on iconic author John le Carre’s 1983 spy novel of the same name, is a 6-part miniseries starring Florence Pugh (The Commuter). The team behind AMC’s The Night Manager returns to tell this tale of a brilliant young actress (Pugh), who is recruited by an Israeli spy in order to discover the location of a well known Palestinian terrorist. Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) will be making his TV directorial debut. Chan-wook’s unique visual style is reason enough to get excited about the project. While there is still no release date, The Little Drummer Girl will premiere first on BBC One in the UK and eventually make its way to AMC in the United States.

Castle Rock

Though it’s not strictly a straight adaptation of any one book, this ambitious drama will weave in iconic locations, themes and characters from Stephen King’s sprawling body of work, all centered around the titular fictional locale in Maine. Shawshank Prison will play a major role in the series, which stars IT breakout Bill Skarsgard, Andre Holland, Melanie Lynskey, Sissy Spacek, Terry O’Quinn, and Scott Glenn (who plays Alan Pangborn, the retired sheriff who featured in several of King’s stories, including Needful Things and The Dark Half). The series will premiere sometime in 2018 on Hulu, and was created by Sam Shaw and Dustin Thomason, with J.J. Abrams executive producing.

A Discovery of Witches

A Discovery of Witches is based on the 2011 historical-fantasy novel of the same name by Deborah Harkness. Kate Brooke, writer of the BBC’s acclaimed Mr. Selfridge series, will act as showrunner. The story takes place at the University of Oxford where Diana Bishop, a young professor and powerful witch, meets a handsome vampire named Matthew Clairmont. There's also a long-lost manuscript referred to as Ashmole 782 that is a highly sought after artifact, which sends Matthew and Diana on an exciting adventure. Watchmen star Matthew Goode and Lights Out alum Teresa Palmer star in the leading roles. For now, A Discovery of Witches will air exclusively on Sky in the UK in 2018 -- a US distributor has yet to be announced.

Farenheit 451

After playing the Human Torch in Fantastic 4 and the fire-starting Killmonger in Black Panther, Michael B. Jordan is in no danger of flaming out with his next project, a highly-anticipated TV movie adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s seminal dystopian novel. Jordan stars as Guy Montag, a “fireman” tasked with burning the possessions of people who read outlawed books, while Michael Shannon plays his supervisor, Captain Beatty. Indie helmer Ramin Bahrani (who directed Shannon in 99 Homes) wrote and directed the film, which will premiere on HBO sometime this summer.

Patrick Melrose

Patrick Melrose is based on a series of novels written by English author Edward St. Aubyn. Doctor Strange star Benedict Cumberbatch plays the titular character who is trying to overcome a childhood with an abusive father and a mother who did little to intervene. The stories are based on Aubyn’s life and show the downside of inherited wealth. Oscar winner Blythe Danner, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Girls alum Allison Williams will star alongside Cumberbatch. Writer Dave Nicholls (One Day) will take on showrunner responsibilities. The series will premiere on Showtime and Sky Atlantic sometime in 2018.

Watership Down

Watership Down is an animated miniseries based on the 1972 fantasy adventure novel written by English author Richard Adams. 300: Rise of the Empire director Noam Murro and Eastenders scribe Tom Bidwell will adapt the classic story of a small group of Rabbits living in Southern England who must undertake a treacherous journey in search of a new home. X-Men star James McAvoy and The Last Jedi’s John Boyega headline the series, which will be released in the second half of 2018 on BBC in the UK and on Netflix in the United States.

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The Magicians co-showrunner Sera Gamble has teamed with Arrowverse architect Greg Berlanti to write and executive produce this timely tale of cyberstalking, based on the Caroline Kepnes novel of the same name. The series stars Gossip Girl alum Penn Badgley as a bookstore manager who becomes obsessed with an aspiring writer (Elizabeth Lail), using the internet and social media to learn everything he can about her — and remove all obstacles that stand in the way of their relationship. The 10-episode series will premiere on Lifetime in 2018.

Good Omens

Based on the beloved novel by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, Amazon’s hotly-anticipated adaptation stars David Tennant as the demon Crowley and Michael Sheen as the angel Aziraphale, an unlikely duo who must team up to prevent the apocalypse. Gaiman serves as showrunner and writer on the comedy, which is directed by Douglas Mackinnon. The six-episode miniseries is a co-production between Amazon and the BBC, with BBC Two set to air the series in the UK following its debut on Amazon Prime in 2019.

The Haunting of Hill House

Based on Shirley Jackson’s 1959 gothic novel, The Haunting of Hill House tells the story of four individuals who spend the summer in an old mansion where supernatural events begin to take place. The series will be a modern retelling of the tale, which focuses more on the psychological terror, instead of the horror elements. Writer and director Mike Flanagan (Oculus and Ouija: Origin of Evil), who is no stranger to the horror genre, will be acting as showrunner. The series is lead by a strong group of actors including Timothy Hutton (The Killing Room), Carla Gugino (Watchmen), and Michel Huisman (Game of Thrones). The Haunting of Hill House will premiere on Netflix, but no release date has been announced.

Dietland

Julianna Margulies is following up her Emmy-winning role on The Good Wife with this darkly comedic adaptation of Sarai Walker’s book, which has been described as a female Fight Club. Like Sharp Objects, this series is executive produced by Marti Noxon, and tackles society’s obsession with weight loss and the monolithic beauty industry. The show follows Plum Kettle (Joy Nash), a ghostwriter for a teen magazine who gets recruited into an underground feminist organization while preparing for weight loss surgery, soon finding herself swept up into a literal battle of the sexes. Margulies will play Plum's editor, the demanding Kitty Montgomery, when the show premieres on AMC in 2018.

Nightflyers

Nightflyers is based on George R.R. Martin’s 1985 novella, set in the future on the eve of Earth’s destruction. The show follows a crew of explorers who journey on the most advanced ship in the galaxy, The Nightflyer, to intercept a mysterious alien spacecraft that might hold the key to their survival. As the crew nears their destination, they discover that the ship’s artificial intelligence and never-seen captain may be steering them into deadly and unspeakable horrors deep in the dark reaches of space. Lead by showrunner Dan Cerone (The Blacklist), Nightflyers will air on Syfy domestically and will stream on Netflix internationally, although we don't have an exact date yet.

The Rook

Twilight author Stephenie Meyer is adapting Daniel O’Malley’s supernatural page-turner, which follows a young women with amnesia and special abilities who finds herself pursued by paranormal adversaries as she tries to uncover the secrets of her past. The series has no announced cast or release date yet, but you can probably expect to see it on your screen in 2019, courtesy of Starz and Lionsgate.

Lord of the Rings

Lord of the Rings has been given a multi-season order from Amazon and will tell a story preceding the events of the first novel, The Fellowship of the Ring, featuring new storylines. There is still no word on a premiere date, who will be acting as showrunner or who will be cast in the leading roles, but it’s exciting to know that we’ll be on another adventure set in Middle Earth. Amazon Studios will produce the series in cooperation with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, HarperCollins, and New Line Cinema.

The Kingkiller Chronicle

The Kingkiller Chronicle, based on Patrick Rothfuss’ trilogy of novels, is being developed by Showtime with Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda acting as executive producer. The series is set generations before the events of the first novel and will feature a musical component, so Miranda should feel right at home. John Rogers will serve as showrunner for the first season but no casting news or premiere date has been announced yet. The Kingkiller Chronicle will follow a pair of wandering performers on their adventures through the startling world of Temerant. The books focus on narrator Kvothe recounting the tales of his early days, before becoming the most infamous swordsman, musician, and magician in the world.

Book to TV Adaptations We Can't Wait to Watch

2018/07/31

Book to TV Adaptations We Can't Wait to Watch

We spotlight 21 upcoming projects making the jump from page to screen in the next couple of years that we're particularly excited for.